Every day is Earth Day
Okanagan’s largest recycling plant processes between 5,000 and 6,000 metric tonnes of material every month
At first, it all appears to be garbage flying by. But in reality, it’s a complicated series of pre-sort, sort, fibre, paper, plastic and container conveyor belts feeding shredders and bailers at the biggest and most sophisticated recycling plant in the Okanagan.
“Everything people in the Southern Interior put in their blue recycling bins ends up here to be sorted, separated, bailed and taken to market,” said Cascades Recovery manager Deanne Stephenson.
“We put 5,000 to 6,000 metric tonnes of material through here a month.”
As such, every day is Earth Day at Cascades Recovery.
But, with the calendar saying it’s Earth Day today, the spotlight is shining on Cascades Recovery and the essential service it provides in an environmentally friendly and globally conscious society.
As well, with all 55 staff at Cascades working on Friday, the company had a lunchtime barbecue to mark Earth Day with burgers and cookies.
Since everyone throws all their recyclables into blue bins for curbside pick up, it all arrives at Cascades plant on Cambro Road, just north of Highway 97 off Sexsmith Road, as a co-mingled mess.
The journey for this mishmash starts on the pre-sort conveyor belt.
Since automation can’t do the pre-sort job, a line of humans either side of the apparatus furiously hand picks out any garbage or plastic bags.
Yes, plastic bags are the scourge of the recycling world.
They clog up machinery and can’t be recycled at Cascades via blue boxes.
To recycle plastic bags, they need to be taken to a recycling depot where bottles and cans are accepted for deposit refund.
All the stuff from such depots ultimately ends up at Cascades, too, to be marketed to the firms that will turn recycled materials into new products.
However, by the time it reaches Cascades, the bottles and cans and plastic has all been pre-sorted so Cascades can deal with it.
The next conveyor belt is automated and shakes off all the cardboard.
A third conveyor, also automated, screens for all papers.
A fourth line again needs the human eye and people to pick out any remaining plastic bags or garbage bits.
The fifth and final conveyor is automated and does the final separation of paper from containers like tetra packages, hard plastics and tin.
“Most people are pretty good about putting only the acceptable recyclables in their blue bins,” said Stephenson.
“But we do remind people that glass and beverage cans go to the depots for deposit refund and plastic bags can go to the depots too. Clothes are recyclable, but don’t put them in your blue bin. Donate them to a charity. And, while it doesn’t happen very often, some people put yard waste in their recycling bins. Yard waste goes in your green bin for separate pick up. And, definitely don’t put dirty diapers or used needles, even if they are in a container, in your recycling.”
The Central Okanagan Salvation Army will accept donated clothes, and good used housewares and small appliances, to sell at its thrift stores or pass on to those less fortunate.
In fact, in 2016, 436 metric tonnes of product was diverted from local dumps via donations and recycling to the Salvation Army.
At the Central Okanagan Regional District’s Waste Reduction Office, the entire 30 days of April has turned into Earth Month.
Ev erything people in the Southern Interior put in their blue recycling bins ends up here to be sorted, separated, bailed and taken to market. Cascades Recovery manager Deanne Stephenson
The district’s Community Clean-Up Month allows groups to register their litter collection events; be provided garbage bags, gloves and graffiti-busting kits; and have the district pick up the bagged garbage at a designated spot.
Some of the groups that are holding their clean-up binges this weekend to coincide as closely as possible with Earth Day are the Glenmore Valley Community Association, West Kelowna Girl Guides, Okanagan Mission Residents Association, Willowstone Academy, The Lakes Community Association, Bardel Entertainment, Wilsons Landing Residents Association and Oyama Community Club.
“People care, so they celebrate Earth Day in many different ways,” said Rae Stewart, waste reduction facilitator.
“You can reduce your waste by recycling more and learning how to compost. But you can also mark Earth Day by conserving water or just getting out in nature and hiking.”
Electric and natural gas utility FortisBC is commemorating Earth Day with lists of how to prevent heat from escaping your home and how to conserve hot water.
Upgrading weather stripping around all door and window frames and installing energy-efficient faucets and showerheads top each list.
London Drugs is using Earth Day to toot its own horn.
The chain’s 79 stores in Western Canada, including outlets in Penticton, Vernon, West Kelowna and Kelowna, now divert 92.8 per cent of their waste to recycling.
Rather than trash stuff because it’s broken, get it fixed and keep using it after visiting The Repair Cafe April 29 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Okanagan College’s trades building in Kelowna.
People will be on hand to repair everything from household items and bikes to clothing and dishes.